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WIP Character Build: The Phantom

Tags: #Roleplaying  #SE Rank:Novice  #Trekster 
  • November 13, 2018

    So this one is in really early stages of development. I'm working on this character to start a playthrough soon and maybe, eventually, creating a character build if it all works out. Oftentimes I get hit with a concept and I go from there. This one really hit me after reading through the DnD player handbook and also the Apocalypse Illusion spells. I've spent some time recently looking over both to create my character class creation guides and I really liked the idea of pairing illusion and restoration together - often passive abilities. DnD had a concept of an Avenger class which also struck me, but had no place in my Paladin guide unfortunately. It had some vague similarities to the paladin but I started to create my own ideas and came up with this Phantom character that could shroud himself with divine magick.

    It is no secret from my posts here that I enjoy holy characters. This character though, the Phantom, is more of a holy spectre. More of a spell-caster type than a paladin or cleric, and possessing shadowy forms of magick as well as the typical healing, undead turning stuff. I also liked the idea of a holy character who is a zealot, indoctrinated with their beliefs through conditioning and abuse rather than choosing to be this way. An extremist of sorts. Anyway, here is what I have so far. 

     

    THE PHANTOM

    The Phantom is a holy instrument of Kynareth, a shadowy champion of divine magick. Chosen at birth for his Altmer blood and propensity for magick, he was selected by monks to be their patron’s champion. Since that day the Phantom was bent to their will, trained vigorously in combat and magick, and radicalized to his patron’s cause. Everything Kynareth has to say can now be expressed through the might of his sword. She is the goddess of unseen spirits and the Phantom embodies her power. He is a holy spectre that shrouds himself in the aetherial plane. To his foes he is an apparition, and he will stop at nothing to exorcise demons and banish evil.

     

    RACE: Altmer

    STANDING STONE: Lord

    STATS: 3/1/0

    MAJOR SKILLS: Illusion, Restoration, Two-Handed

    MINOR SKILLS: Alteration, Enchanting

    ATTIRE: Blue or black mage robes

    WEAPONS: Swords (no particulars yet, either one-handed or two-handed)

    SPELLS: Illusion (Ghostwalk, Shadowbond, Invisibility, Vanish and Shroudwalk); Restoration (Wild Healing, Bone Spirit, Sun Fire, Necroplague, Turn Undead, Dust to Dust, Meridia’s Wrath); Alteration (Flesh spells, Ocato’s Recital & Knowledge is Power for autocasts)

    POWERS:

    Phantom Shroud - The Phantom can cloak himself with his divine power. By shadowing himself he enters the aetherial plane, disguised from evil with a Phantom Shroud. Illusion spells like Ghostwalk, Shadowbond, Invisibility, Vanish and Shroudwalk will cloak the Phantom from evil and allow him to manipulate them through astral projection.

    Exorcism - The Phantom wields the power of Exorcism, granting him blessed spells to use against undead and other abominations. Divine incantations like Bone Spirit, Sun Fire, Necroplague, Turn Undead, Dust to Dust and Meridia’s Wrath will be your recourse against the unholy. Enchantments that burn undead are the tools of any talented Exorcist.

    False Light - The Phantom will utilize his False Light power to dispatch living foes with holy magick. Restoration spells will be rendered useful against all foes who are deemed to possess a False Light within them. His healing, holy light will burn all forms of evil, not just undead, bringing down all who oppose his mission.

    Spirit Guardian - The Phantom will cast flesh spells and benefit from Mage Armor to protect himself from unholy blights. A Spirit Guardian will grant him the ability to use Ocato’s Recital and Knowledge is Power. These Alteration spells allow the Phantom to benefit from auto-casted defense spells in combat.

     

    ROLEPLAYING

    So my ideas for this character are going to be of one who is burdened by their powers and the holy cause he has been tasked with. This isn't something he has chosen, it has been thrust upon him. I see a character with some existential woe, to put it mildly. What inspired this idea was the knowledge of how real people struggle in cultish groups and areas of extreme religion and cultural demands. They often struggle to escape or reconcile the contradictions of their faith with how the real world actually is. A torn, soulfully tortured character is the roleplay I will probably be going for, and seeing where that leads this character. That narrative interests me and I haven't attempted that in a game before.

     

    GAMEPLAY

    I'm open to suggestions here on spells or others mods to use beyond Apocalypse and Ordinator. So far I see combat situations beginning with an illusion spell to investigate or gain a superior position. Some apocalypse spells actually reverse your position with another foe which could be great mid combat. I see a lot of flesh spells being cast and then relying on power attacks and subterfuge or vanishing to trick enemies. Later on when I unlock False Light I can have my fun burning everyone with healing spells but early on I think a lot more cloak and strike attacks will work best. I won't be using sneak so I'm not sure how this may hinder his stealth. I don't want this to be a stealth build really, more about shrouding and popping up behind people or just confusing them about where he is, like some interdimensional ninja.

  • Member
    November 13, 2018
    Why not drop the two-handed run with one-handed weapons and sneak? One-handed weapons, daggers in particular, have strong synergy with sneak and illusion. Once you pick up Assassin’s Blade and Ghost Walk, you can slowly clear out an entire room of enemies one well-placed Sneak Attack at a time, since each time you break sneak by striking (or performing an action like opening a chest) you’re teleported back to the hiding spot where you initially cast th spell.
  • November 14, 2018

    Mercurias said: Why not drop the two-handed run with one-handed weapons and sneak? One-handed weapons, daggers in particular, have strong synergy with sneak and illusion. Once you pick up Assassin’s Blade and Ghost Walk, you can slowly clear out an entire room of enemies one well-placed Sneak Attack at a time, since each time you break sneak by striking (or performing an action like opening a chest) you’re teleported back to the hiding spot where you initially cast th spell.

     

    Yeah I know one-handed and illusion go well with sneak but I'm trying to break away from the typical illusion playstyle. At least a little bit. I don't see this character as a sneaky assassin with daggers and such - though Nightblades are a lot of fun- but more like a spectre with a badass greatsword. I'm still play testing it, so maybe it's not that viable. Ghost Walk I've found kind of interesting where you can rail off one or two good strikes before being hit - if you time it well - and then can plunge into battle with the upper hand. It's quite different but I want to keep trying this out. Planning on trying the higher level illusion spells like this as well. I don't usually play Illusion spell casters but I find that paired with sneak to be pretty OP.

     

  • November 14, 2018

    Mercurias said: Why not drop the two-handed run with one-handed weapons and sneak? One-handed weapons, daggers in particular, have strong synergy with sneak and illusion. Once you pick up Assassin’s Blade and Ghost Walk, you can slowly clear out an entire room of enemies one well-placed Sneak Attack at a time, since each time you break sneak by striking (or performing an action like opening a chest) you’re teleported back to the hiding spot where you initially cast th spell.

    Made a quick video. This is kinda what I had in mind. Still play testing, but you store your flesh spell and Ghostwalk with Ocato's Recital then head into the fray. 

  • November 14, 2018

    More Ghostwalk

  • Member
    November 26, 2018
    Oh, and another option you might like for when you end up in the thick of it could be the Imperious Shadow Stone, when unlocked, Shadow Step lets you clear up to 75 feet of ground incredibly fast for an up-close smash or to evade the blows of a strong enemy by zooming to someone’s out of melee range. It costs 50 Stamina a pop, so with Respite or a weapon that absorbs stamina, you could pretty easily stealth-zoom all over the battlefield.
  • November 26, 2018

    Mercurias said: Oh, and another option you might like for when you end up in the thick of it could be the Imperious Shadow Stone, when unlocked, Shadow Step lets you clear up to 75 feet of ground incredibly fast for an up-close smash or to evade the blows of a strong enemy by zooming to someone’s out of melee range. It costs 50 Stamina a pop, so with Respite or a weapon that absorbs stamina, you could pretty easily stealth-zoom all over the battlefield.

     

    Ooo nice. I'll try that one out. Good to know it's not just a once a day ability.

  • Member
    November 27, 2018
    You have to unlock it, but yes it’s at-will. I used it before on a Crusader/Cleric playthrough loosely based on Thor (Basically a big, friendly Nord in plate with Resto/Destro magic, a mace, and Spell-Scribed lightning-smites). It was the opposite of stealthy, but surging all around the battlefield was a fantastic anti-mage/evasion/gap closing tactic.
  • November 27, 2018

    Mercurias said: You have to unlock it, but yes it’s at-will. I used it before on a Crusader/Cleric playthrough loosely based on Thor (Basically a big, friendly Nord in plate with Resto/Destro magic, a mace, and Spell-Scribed lightning-smites). It was the opposite of stealthy, but surging all around the battlefield was a fantastic anti-mage/evasion/gap closing tactic.

     

    That's an awesome idea, I love Thor AND Norse mythology in general. Actually was looking into some Viking/Norse stuff for my Barbarian guide I'm working on. Anyway, I digress. 

    Right now I'm working on a couple projects but here and there I'm putting some work into this character. When I get a chance I want to try out that ability.